Broadcasting Act Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Act is to promote the protection of the rights and interests of the viewers, the formation of the democratic public opinion and the improvement of the national culture, and to contribute to the development of broadcasting and advancement of public welfare by guaranteeing the freedom and independence of broadcasting and by enhancing the public responsibility of broadcasting. Article 2 (Definitions of Terms) The definitions of terms as used in this Act shall be as follows: 1. The term "broadcasting" means planning, programming or producing the broadcast programs and transmitting them to the general public (including recipients under individual contracts; hereinafter referred to as the "viewers") through telecommunication facilities, and refers to those falling under the following items: (a) Terrestrial broadcasting: Broadcasting using wireless stations on the ground aiming at broadcasting; (b) CATV broadcasting: Multi-channel broadcasting using signal transmission or line facilities; and (c) Satellite broadcasting: Broadcasting using wireless stations on an artificial satellite; 2. The term "broadcasting business" means the business of conducting broadcasts which fall under the following items: (a) Terrestrial broadcasting business: A business of managing and operating wireless stations on the ground aiming at broadcasting, and conducting the terrestrial broadcasts; (b) CATV broadcasting business: A business of managing and operating CATV broadcasting stations (referring to the whole of facilities and employees for conducting CATV broadcasts; hereinafter the same shall apply), and conducting the CATV broadcasts; (c) Satellite broadcasting business: A business of managing and operating wireless stations by owning or leasing the wireless facilities on artificial satellites, and conducting the satellite broadcasts; and (d) Program providing business: A business of using the relevant channel by entering into a contract for exclusive use of whole or part of times of a specific channel with a terrestrial broadcasting business operator, a CATV broadcasting business operator, or a satellite broadcasting business operator; 3. The term "broadcasting business operator" means the persn in each of the following items: (a) Terrestrial broadcasting business operator: A person who has obtained a license
under Article 9 (1) for operating a terrestrial broadcasting business; (b) CATV broadcasting business operator: A person who has obtained a license under Article 9 (2) for operating a CATV broadcasting business; (c) Satellite broadcasting business operator: A person who has obtained a license under Article 9 (1) for operating a satellite broadcasting business; and (d) Program providing business operator: A person who has registered or obtained approval under Article 9 (5) for operating a program providing business; 4. The term "CATV relay broadcasting" means an act of receiving and relay-transmitting a terrestrial broadcast, a satellite broadcast operated by the Korea Broadcasting System under this Act and by a broadcasting business operator established under the Special Act, or a broadcast as determined by the Presidential Decree (including the audio or video recordings which do not alter any broadcast programs); 5. The term "CATV relay broadcasting business" means a business of conducting CATV relay broadcasts; 6. The term "CATV relay broadcasting business operator" means a person who has obtained a license under Article 9 (2) for operating a CATV relay broadcasting business; 7. The term "CATV music broadcasting" means a transmission of music recorded on phonograms sold or distributed under the Sound Records, Video Products, and Game Software Act; 8. The term "CATV music broadcasting business" means a business of conducting the CATV music broadcasts; 9. The term "CATV music broadcasting business operator" means a person who has registered under Article 9 (5) for operating a CATV music broadcasting business; 10.The term "electric sign board broadcasting" means an act of presenting a broadcast program including news reports on an electric sign board at all times or continually for a specified period of time; 11. The term "electric sign board broadcasting business" means a business of conducting electric sign board broadcasts; 12. The term "electric sign board broadcasting business operator" means a person who has registered under Article 9 (5) for operating an electric sign board broadcasting business; 13.The term "signal transmission network business" means a business of installing and operating cable or wireless signal transmission and line facilities in order to transmit the broadcast programs from CATV broadcasting stations to the viewers; 14. The term "signal transmission network business operator" means a person who has registered under Article 9 (10) for operating a signal transmission network business; 15.The term "broadcast programming" means an act of deciding the types, contents, quantity, time, and arrangements of the broadcasted items; 16.The term "broadcast field" means an area of broadcast programs classified into news reports, culture and entertainment, etc.; 17. The term "broadcast program" means the broadcast contents forming a unit of
broadcast programs; 18.The term "general programming" means an act of organizing the broadcast programs so as to form a mutual harmony between the diverse broadcast fields such as news reports, culture and entertainment, etc.; 19. The term "specialized programming" means an act of specially organizing broadcast programs of a particular broadcast field; 20.The term "pay television" means the service provided by a broadcasting business operator, CATV relay broadcasting business operator or CATV music broadcasting business operator under a contract with a viewer, upon receipt of a price per channel or per broadcast program; 21. The term "commercial broadcast" means a broadcast of contents aiming at advertisements; 22.The term "announcement of sponsors" means an announcement of the names or trade names, etc. of others after receiving from them the expenses, goods, services, manpower or places required directly or indirectly for the production of a broadcast program; and 23. The term "person in charge of broadcast programming" means the person who makes the decisions concerning and takes the responsibility for the broadcast programming. Article 3 (Protection of Rights and Interests of Viewers) A broadcasting business operator shall make the viewers to be able to participate in decision-making with regard to planning, programming or producing broadcast programs, and shall make the results of broadcasts to comply with the viewers' interests. Article 4 (Freedom and Independence of Broadcast Programming) (1) The freedom and independence of broadcast programming shall be guaranteed. (2) No one shall regulate or interfere with the broadcast programming unless as prescribed by this Act or other Acts. (3) A broadcasting business operator shall appoint a person in charge of broadcast programming, and make an official announcement of his name during broadcasting hours at least once in a day, and guarantee the autonomous broadcast programming for the person in charge of broadcast programming. (4) A broadcasting business operator engaged in general programming or specialized programming of news reports shall, in order to guarantee an autonomy in the production of broadcast programs, institute a covenant on broadcast programming,
reflecting the opinions of the persons engaged in data collection and production, and shall publicly announce it. Article 5 (Public Responsibility of Broadcasting) (1) A broadcast shall respect the dignity and value of human beings as well as the fundamental democratic order. (2) A broadcast shall contribute to the unity of the people to a harmonious development of the State and a democratic formation of the public opinion, and shall not promote any discords among regions, generations, classes and sexes. (3) A broadcast shall not injure other's reputation or infringe on other's rights. (4) A broadcast shall not promote crimes, immoral conducts or a speculative spirit. (5) A broadcast shall not promote lewdness, decadence or violence which has a negative influence on a sound family life and on a guidance of children and juveniles. Article 6 (Impartiality and Public Interest Nature of Broadcasting) (1) A broadcast of news reports shall be impartial and objective. (2) A broadcast shall not be discriminative in broadcast programming on account of sex, age, occupation, religion, belief, class, region, race, etc.: Provided, That this shall not apply in case where a broadcasting business operator engaged in a specialized programming with respect to a missionary work of religion within the limit of a relevant broadcast field. (3) A broadcast shall respect the ethical and emotional sentiments of the people, and contribute to the safeguard of the fundamental rights of the people and the advancement of international friendship. (4) A broadcast shall protect, extend the people's right to knowledge and freedom of expression. (5) A broadcast shall strive to faithfully reflect the interests of the groups or classes that are relatively small in number or at a disadvantage in realization of the pursuit of their interests. (6) A broadcast shall contribute to the balanced development of local communities and the promotion of national cultures.
(7) A broadcast shall extend its social education function, and diffuse and disseminate the useful living information, and contribute to the qualitative improvement of the people's cultural life. (8) A broadcast shall contribute to the propagation of standard language, and endeavor to refine and purify the language. (9) A broadcast shall, in publicly announcing the policies, etc. of the Government or a specific group, strive to provide an equal opportunity to other groups having different opinions, and also endeavor to maintain a balance in organizing the broadcast programs with respect to each party of political interests. Article 7 (Scope of Application) Matters concerning the broadcasting shall be governed by this Act unless as otherwise prescribed in other Acts. Source: http://www.freedominfo.org 2007